The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-12-01
aHNnRAL TUrT1n,s PHNs1oN.
Suspicious That 1t Was Obtained b,
Fraud.

suspicious That 1t Was Obtained by
Fraud.
DEs MONIES, Nov. ga few days
ago press dispatch from Washington
announced that the Pension Depart,
ment had received charges of irregular
ity and fraud in matters pertaining to
the pension allowance to General Tut
tie in 1880, and which has since been
regularly drawn by him, and thatan in
yestigatiOn hadsbeen instituted, and that
a special examiner has been detailed to
look up the facts in the case and report
the same to the department. The tele-
gram naturally created good deal of
interest here, although the local papers
failed to comment upon the matter
until this morning, when the
State Register, the loyal organ
of the general, appeared with a
wildeyed editorial about the "mad-dog
rebel element in the solid South" act
ing through its creature, Cleveland"
being the instigators of the fraudulent
pension charge, and it hints that if
Tnttle is made the "Victim Of this base
conspiracy" the State of Iowa will take
him up and honor him as no man has
been honOred by the State in recent
years.
Whether this means that he is to be
given Jarves F. Wilson's seat in the
United States Senate, or that Allison's
Presidential boom must wither in the
flames that make General Tuttle mar
tyr, is not very clear, but 1t is probably
the Senatorial seat that is referred to,
as that is the nearest at hand.
In 1880 General James NJ futile was
allowed pension of $50 month, or
full disability pension, for an alleged
hernia, claimed to have been the
result of injuries received at the
battle of Fort Donelson. The
claim is also set up that injuries were
inflicted upon his back by fall over
log during the same battle. 1t was
not claimed in his application that he
was wounded. When the pension was
allowed it was antedated, and some
50, 600 or $1,000 in back pay was drawn.
There are number of people now liv-
ing in DE Moines who claim to have
certain knowledge that the rupture was
carried with General Tuttle into the
army, and was not entailed by military
services. 1t was not of sufficient i'm
portance to Justify the examining sur
geOns in rejecting him as unfit for mil
itary duty, and it is claimed it is no
worse now than it was at the time of
his acceptance. The claim of total dis
ability is certainly not justified, for no
more rugged man walks the streets of
Des Moines today than General Tuttle.
Who preferred the charges against
him is not known here. Having been
preferred, the department is in duty
bound to take cognizance of them. 1t
is not an unusual case by any means
Matters.of that kind are being looked
up in all sections of the country. The
fraudulent cases are being weeded out,
and honest, deserving applicants for
pensions are having an impartial hear
ing, There never has been time when
the old soldiers in this locality were so
well satisfied with the administration
of the pension department. If General
Tuttle's case should prove fraudulent,
he will be dealt with the same as though
he were humble and uninhuential
soldier, and if the Republican party
takes him up and attempts to put him
in the Senate or anywhere else on any
such issue, its leaders will make a big
ger mistake than Mr.. Blaine made
when he listened to Brother Burchard.